Player Discussion Iiro Pakarinen

[K1984]

Looked like junk to me until recently. One of our worst players at times.

Only recently looks NHL worthy and that's still debateable.

Kassian obviously is far superior from what we have seen of him just as a quick example.

If he keeps it up great, if not... oh well. Shrug.

I'm on the same page. He frequently gets lost in his own zone and only brings it on the forecheck occasionally (until recently).

I hope he keeps this level of play up, but I'm not completely sold yet.

 

[Crobby]

I thought this is what Pitlick was going to bring to this team but he cant seem to stay healthy.

As far as "pleasant surprises" go, he's up there with Davidson this year imo.

 

[VainGretzky]

He has scored 2 so far from just turning and firing it at net maybe some other Oilers can learn from that.

 

[Replacement*]

Just ftr Pak should have 5 goals at this point. Anybody can go back to the SJ game December 9 to see that a goal scored on a shot by Pakarinen is somehow credited to Nuge. Pak was robbed of that one.

http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2015020419

What should be 5 goals is not bad for a player getting bit minutes largely on 4th line.

 

[Replacement*]

I'm on the same page. He frequently gets lost in his own zone and only brings it on the forecheck occasionally (until recently).

I hope he keeps this level of play up, but I'm not completely sold yet.

Kind of hard to sustain much of a forecheck while playing with the worst linemates this team can give him who rarely manage to sustain any offensive zone pressure.

That's not on Pak. The moment he gets better linemates you see how much of a sustained forecheck he can bring. You also see the offense he can bring.

Pak, as I just mentioned has also scored 5 goals(counting the one that was oddly given to Nuge) in 1/3 of the minutes that one of our topline Centers, (nuge) has and who as only scored 7 goals. Just to let that sink in for a moment.

Pak also has 88hits on 9minutes/GP. An astounding stat from a player that has played spectacularly hard in his shifts.

Only forward on the club that has more hits is Hendricks.

To put Paks hits total into perspective Darnell Nurse, who himself is a hitting machine has only 4 more hits than Pak in triple the toi. That should astound anybody what kind of hitting rate Pak has put out.

There might not be a player in the league that has thrown more hits per minute played than Pak.

It should be impossible for people to dislike Pakarinen. But evey GDT several posters do. I don't know what they been watching.

 

[Aerchon]

I thought this is what Pitlick was going to bring to this team but he cant seem to stay healthy.

As far as "pleasant surprises" go, he's up there with Davidson this year imo.

I think comparing his success to Davidsons success is a gross exageration.

He has been playing good lately, but good for a fourth liner. Its not like he is playing good for a top six forward.

 

[Aceboogie]

I still remember when he first came up and we were playing Nashville and the annoucer was saying a shot on goal for Parakarian, but sounds exactly the same as Pekke Rinne. I was so confused

 

[nabob]

Pretty sure there is a select group of Oil fans that hates this kid ... seen them in just about every GDT.. Glad they have quiet down these day.

IMO Chia can safely slot Kassian, Pakarinen and Hendricks into our bottom 6 for next year leaving the other 3 spots open.

A month ago we had no short term potential cap issues but with Davidson, Kassian and Pakarinen performing Chia will have to do some actual managing this offseason.

I see a few of his haters have popped up in this thread now.

Gotta include Letestu in that bottom 6 group, and Korpi next year as well. I also think JJ could fill the last spot well.

Korpi - Letestu- Kassian
Pak - Hendricks - JJ

Not quite as skilled as I'd like but there's hope there.

 

[BarDownBobo]

I see a few of his haters have popped up in this thread now.

Gotta include Letestu in that bottom 6 group, and Korpi next year as well. I also think JJ could fill the last spot well.

Korpi - Letestu- Kassian
Pak - Hendricks - JJ

Not quite as skilled as I'd like but there's hope there.

Pull JJ out and drop Korpi to the 4th line and you're prolly onto something. PakMan's play really started improving when they put him with fellow Finn Korpi. They prolly look for a more skilled option with Letestu and Kassian for the 3rd line tho, maybe Pouliot.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I see a few of his haters have popped up in this thread now.

Gotta include Letestu in that bottom 6 group, and Korpi next year as well. I also think JJ could fill the last spot well.

Korpi - Letestu- Kassian
Pak - Hendricks - JJ

Not quite as skilled as I'd like but there's hope there.

If that's our bottom 6 for next year, might as well start boning up on 2017's top picks. That group combined might put up as many points as a guy like Frans Nielsen.

You need SOME offense in your bottom 6.

 

[Replacement*]

If that's our bottom 6 for next year, might as well start boning up on 2017's top picks. That group combined might put up as many points as a guy like Frans Nielsen.

You need SOME offense in your bottom 6.

Are my posts not appearing in this thread? haha

Pak actually has considerable scoring ability for a bottomsix player. By my count has 5, not 4 goals this year as I stated earlier. Additionally, even with only the 4 goals the NHL has counted Pak is amongst the top G/60mins EV on this club.

Letestu has 2 shorties for crying out loud. hard to score more than that playing so much time on pk.
Hendricks can score, Kassian can score. Korpi has been scoring for us.

Maybe if Nuge and Yak lit the lamp a little more. Those goals are also required.

 

[Senor Catface]

If that's our bottom 6 for next year, might as well start boning up on 2017's top picks. That group combined might put up as many points as a guy like Frans Nielsen.

You need SOME offense in your bottom 6.

Frans Nielsen plays 17 minutes a game.

 

[Stoneman89]

If that's our bottom 6 for next year, might as well start boning up on 2017's top picks. That group combined might put up as many points as a guy like Frans Nielsen.

You need SOME offense in your bottom 6.

If they gave you more offence, they would be your 2nd line and making 2 million dollars more each. As it is, Chicago's bottom 6 has scored 20 goals, and ours have scored nearly the same amount. Not sure what more they can do for you. And bottom 6 guys have not been the problem on this team for the most part. Crappy defence, injuries and spotty goaltending have been, and those are the things that will get you a top pick.

 

[Stoneman89]

Just ftr Pak should have 5 goals at this point. Anybody can go back to the SJ game December 9 to see that a goal scored on a shot by Pakarinen is somehow credited to Nuge. Pak was robbed of that one.

http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2015020419

What should be 5 goals is not bad for a player getting bit minutes largely on 4th line.

He's inching towards 6, which will make it 3 guys on our bottom 6 that will have achieved that when you said earlier that they were all crap and not one of them would score 6 goals.

 

[LTIR]

Hopefully Chia finds a taker for Kirpokiski... Dont see him as a long term solution.
Also, that bottom 6 posted is fine as long as Oilers are adding 2 top4 RDs.

Also, if I am Chia I lock up Pakarainen to 4yr deal at 1M per. He gets stability we get a 3rd/4th liner locked up

 

[oilersforevva]

Pretty sure there is a select group of Oil fans that hates this kid ... seen them in just about every GDT.. Glad they have quiet down these day.

IMO Chia can safely slot Kassian, Pakarinen and Hendricks into our bottom 6 for next year leaving the other 3 spots open.

A month ago we had no short term potential cap issues but with Davidson, Kassian and Pakarinen performing Chia will have to do some actual managing this offseason.

pretty sure Letestu will be there as well so that will leave 2 spots and the 13th

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Finally Iiro has got own thread in here.
Great to see he's doing well in Oilers.

I've watched Iiro 2 seasons in HIFK Helsinki before he came to Oilers and he was one of my favoirte players in HIFK ( I'm HIFK fan in Finnish hockey).
Most of guys won't know that Iiro has played in HIFK all positions (left winger,center,right winger and defenceman) but not a goalie.

How likely is that Iiro will get released to IIHF 2016 men's world championships.
Or is he going to play AHL playoffs in Bakersfield.

 

[Quality Oil]

Good start for Iiro. I don't think he's the best player on our bottom six but he's shown some scoring potential. If his two way game can improve that'd do wonders for the bottom six.

More time in the AHL still wouldn't be a bad thing for him, quite a bit more time.

 

[Replacement*]

Another very good game from Pak tonight. Good forecheck, battle, taking shots, made a good pass, being very physical. Whole line was good.

Gotta keep this line together.

 

[Replacement*]

He's inching towards 6, which will make it 3 guys on our bottom 6 that will have achieved that when you said earlier that they were all crap and not one of them would score 6 goals.

In fairness to me I didn't know a lot about Pak coming into this season. Kid has impressed me from the word go this season and my comments have reflected that.

Along with the Kassian addition we're starting to build a much better bottomsix.

Kass and Pak can create and cause chaos out there and bang rebounds. its how you score bottomsix goals.

 

[Stoneman89]

In fairness to me I didn't know a lot about Pak coming into this season. Kid has impressed me from the word go this season and my comments have reflected that.

Along with the Kassian addition we're starting to build a much better bottomsix.

Kass and Pak can create and cause chaos out there and bang rebounds. its how you score bottomsix goals.

From all reports and limited viewings from the farm team, he's playing the same game up here. Nothing has changed with him, other than getting more comfortable. Guess I saw it earlier than some others, based on that. And yes, adding Kassian, to the bottom 6 has done wonders, but I think that is about to change in a month when Purcell is moved. At that time, I think he moves on up to the top 6, if he keeps trending this way, and someone like Khaira gets called up for the remainder of the year to fill in. Now, if Lander could just get his head out of his ass, we might really have a more than decent bottom six............but I'm running out of patience.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Thought I'd post this in this thread also, as I already went through the trouble of finding these YT clips:

Put him on PP

Well, he did score 20 goals in 60 games during his last season in Finland, many of them on the PP.

He can be used as a sniper in a pinch, though you'd think that an NHL team had better options available.

At 1:10




At 5:05




At 0:53

 

[Baronsfan]

Thought I'd post this in this thread also, as I already went through the trouble of finding these YT clips:



Well, he did score 20 goals in 60 games during his last season in Finland, many of them on the PP.

He can be used as a sniper in a pinch, though you'd think that an NHL team had better options available.

At 1:10




At 5:05




At 0:53

He played on the point on the pp in OKC, definitely wouldn't hurt to give him an audition in EDM there at this point, although it seems they prefer him to be in front on his unit.

 

[joestevens29]

He played on the point on the pp in OKC, definitely wouldn't hurt to give him an audition in EDM there at this point, although it seems they prefer him to be in front on his unit.

Throw Kassian in front of the net and Iiro on point? Think someone mentioned Kassian has been working on deflections in front of net so it would make sense to try it out.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Why would we have him shooting 100+MPH from the point when we have Schultz who shoots it as hard as Anders Nilsson did in the skills comp with goalie pads on?